infections disease

Hepatitis D virus (HDV), also referred to as hepatitis delta virus, is the smallest virus capable of causing human disease. It is unable to replicate on its own and can only propagate in the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Infection with both HBV and HDV frequently results in more severe disease than HBV alone, with higher instances of cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, there is a need for effective treatment for HDV; however, currently approved treatment options are very limited both in terms of their efficacy and availability...

BACKGROUND: In October, 2017, WHO launched a strategy to eliminate cholera by 2030. A primary challenge in meeting this goal is the limited global supply capacity of oral cholera vaccine and the worsening of cholera outbreaks since 2021. To help address the current shortage of oral cholera vaccine, a WHO prequalified oral cholera vaccine, Euvichol-Plus was reformulated by reducing the number of components and inactivation methods. We aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of Euvichol-S (EuBiologics, Seoul, South Korea) compared with an active control vaccine, Shanchol (Sanofi Healthcare India, Telangana, India) in participants of various ages in Nepal...

OBJECTIVES: This multicenter study, conducted from a One Health perspective, aimed to comprehensively examine the prevalence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and their biofilm-forming capabilities in Pakistan. Phylogenetic analysis of the study isolates was also performed. METHODS: A total of 150 MRSA isolates were screened from various clinical samples using Cefoxitin antibiotic discs. Genotypic confirmation was conducted through mecA, S...

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are exposed to abundant contamination sources with limited remediation strategies. Without new countermeasures or treatments, the risk of hospital-associated infections will remain high. This study explored the impact of advanced photohydrolysis (AP) continuous disinfection technology on hospital environmental bioburden. METHODS: Two acute care Intensive Care Units in different locations (i.e., Kentucky, Louisiana) during different time periods...

Lectins are protein or glycoprotein molecules with a specific ability to bind to carbohydrates. From viruses to mammals, they are found in various organisms and exhibit remarkable diverse structures and functions. They are significant contributors to defense mechanisms against microbial attacks in plants. They are also involved in functions such as controlling lymphocyte migration, regulating glycoprotein biosynthesis, cell-cell recognition, and embryonic development in animals. In addition, lectins serve as invaluable molecular tools in various biological and medical disciplines due to their reversible binding ability and enable the monitoring of cell membrane changes in physiological and pathological contexts...

OBJECTIVES: Acute lung injury is a critical complication of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The gut microbiota and its metabolites play an important role in SAP development and may provide new targets for AP-associated lung injury. Based on the ability to reverse AP injury, we proposed that Clostridium butyricum may reduce the potential for AP-associated lung injury by modulating with intestinal microbiota and related metabolic pathways. METHODS: An AP disease model was established in mice and treated with C...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW), is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that consists of Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi), Poria Cocos(Schw.) Wolf. (Fuling), Persicae Semen (Taoren), Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chishao), and Cortex Moutan (Mudanpi). This formula has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 1,800 years to treat disorders caused by stagnation of circulation and qi (air). AIM OF THE STUDY: Based on pre-clinical and clinical studies, this review aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms of GFW in inhibiting endometriosis...

Various opportunistic infections develop during immunodeficiency due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The treatment options for malignant lymphoma (ML) and toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) are completely different; therefore, their discrimination is critical. A 25-year-old female of foreign nationality had been experiencing headaches for several weeks and suddenly developed convulsions. Brain computed tomography revealed multiple intracranial lesions; therefore, the patient was referred to the neurosurgery department...

OBJECTIVES: To identify the demographic characteristics and potential risk factors of invasive fungal sinusitis (IFS) patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library and PubMed were searched from database inception to August 2023 using the combination of medical searching heading terms "invasive fungal sinusitis" and "COVID-19" and their free words. The research protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023467175). RESULTS: 53 studies were included...

INTRODUCTION: Whether pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tixagevimab/cilgavimab 150mg/150 mg (T/C) in individuals with hematological diseases (HD) may lead to a reduced risk of Breakthrough SARS CoV2 infection/hospitalization or death in the Omicron era remains to be established. METHODS: Observational study including participants with HD who received PrEP. breakthrough infections were defined as a SARS-CoV-2 positivity by RT-PCR. The incidence of breakthrough infections (95%CI) and of breakthrough infections /hospitalization/death was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and as the number of breakthrough infections per 100-PYFU according to the circulating variant (VoC)...

OBJECTIVES: Prognostication for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) remains difficult. We sought to validate the SI2 NCAL2 C score in an international cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SI2 NCAL2 C score was originally developed to predict poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3-6) at 6 months, and mortality at 30 days and 1 year using data from the International CVT Consortium. The SI2 NCAL2 C score uses 9 variables: the absence of any female-sex-specific risk factors, intracerebral hemorrhage, central nervous system infection, focal neurological deficits, coma, age, lower level of hemoglobin, higher level of glucose, and cancer...

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BACKGROUND: The Oka varicella vaccine strain remains neurovirulent and can establish lifelong latent infection, raising safety concerns about vaccine-related herpes zoster. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a skin-attenuated and neuro-attenuated varicella vaccine candidate (v7D vaccine). METHODS: We did this randomised, double-blind, controlled, phase 2a clinical trial in Jiangsu, China. Healthy children aged 3-12 years with no history of varicella infection or vaccination were enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to receive a single subcutaneous injection of the v7D vaccine at 3·3 log10 plaque forming units (PFU; low-dose v7D group), 3·9 log10 PFU (medium-dose v7D group), and 4·2 log10 PFU (high-dose v7D group), or the positive control varicella vaccine (vOka vaccine group)...

BACKGROUND: Regular quality-assured whole-genome sequencing linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and patient metadata is imperative to elucidate the shifting gonorrhoea epidemiology, both nationally and internationally. We aimed to examine the gonococcal population in the European Economic Area (EEA) in 2020, elucidate emerging and disappearing gonococcal lineages associated with AMR and patient metadata, compare with 2013 and 2018 whole-genome sequencing data, and explain changes in gonococcal AMR and gonorrhoea epidemiology...

Anthracnose, the most critical disease affecting olive fruits, is caused by Colletotrichum species. While developing olive fruits are immune to the pathogen regardless of the cultivar, the resistance level varies once the fruit ripens. The defense mechanisms responsible for this difference in resistance are not well understood. To explore this, we analyzed the phenolic metabolic pathways occurring in olive fruits and their susceptibility to the pathogen during ripening in two resistant cultivars ('Empeltre' and 'Frantoio') and two susceptible cultivars ('Hojiblanca' and 'Picudo')...

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S Typhi) associated urinary tract infections are exceedingly rare, accounting for less than 1% of cases. Such infections have known to occur in immune-compromised or individuals with urogenital structural abnormalities. With the emergence of extensively drug resistant S Typhi strains in Pakistan, the management of its various unique presentations poses therapeutic challenges. We report the first documented case of a 74 years old male patient presenting with relapsed urinary tract infection secondary to extensively drug resistant S Typhi...

The use of virus-neutralizing (VN) and nonstructural protein (NSP) antibody tests in a serosurveillance program for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can identify pig herds that are adequately vaccinated, with a high percentage of pigs with VN positive antibody titers; these tests can also help identify pigs with NSP-positivity that have previously been or are currently infected even in vaccinated herds. To identify infected herds and manage infection, the combination of VN and NSP antibody tests was used in Taiwan's serosurveillance program implemented simultaneously with the compulsory FMD vaccination program...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has emerged as a relatively common complication. Multiple studies described this relationship in critical patients, however its incidence and outcome in other risk groups such as immunosuppressed patients remains unknown. In this sense, we aimed to evaluate the rates and outcomes of CAPA in hematological patients and according to the different hematological malignances, comparing to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in non-COVID-19 ones...

OBJECTIVES: The present article introduces a lingual composite tissue flap based on the tragus-like structure for correcting polyotia deformity, with the aim of providing a surgical technique that involves relocating polyotia tissue to reconstruct the tragus and fill the preauricular depression. METHODS: The study included a total of 21 patients with polyotia who underwent lingual composite tissue flap reconstruction between January 2020 to December 2022. Patients were retrospectively assessed through a comprehensive review of their medical records and photographic data...

Freshwater snails are commonly studied within the context of their role as intermediate hosts for digenetic trematodes. However, there are fundamental data deficiencies related to our understanding of directly transmitted parasites, such as coccidia, for freshwater snails. Because variation in coccidia pathogenicity and transmission among snail species likely has major impacts on snail community structure, we aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and prevalence of coccidia in several freshwater snail species throughout the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains ecoregions in Arkansas...